16 Dec Top Four Teams Advance to Bank of Guam GFA Cup Semis
[May 20, 2016 – Harmon, Guam] – The four top-ranked teams in the Bank of Guam 9th Annual GFA Cup soccer tournament are through to the semifinals set to begin 5 p.m. Sunday at the Guam Football Association National Training Center.
Defending champions Guam Shipyard are still in the title hunt with a 10-3 victory over the Crushers FC, one of three Budweiser Soccer League Division II teams that made it to the quarterfinals. Andre Gadia led the Shipyard tally with four goals and teammate Mark Chargualaf scored twice in the win. BSL Premier Division Golden Boot winner Min Sung Choi, Donald Weakley, Christopher Reyes, and Jestin Escobar also scored. Justin Samonte, Osie Cruz, and Noah Duenas scored for the Crushers.
Shipyard will next face BSL DI bronze finishers Quality Distributors FC at 5 p.m. Sunday in the first of two semifinal matches.
Quality defeated BSL Division II champions, Big Blue D2, 9-1 in the tournament’s lone daytime match of the quarterfinals. Adrian Kense and Mike Leon Guerrero each scored twice for the winning team and Jan-Willem Staman, Kevin Knaeble, Scott Leon Guerrero, Luis Larrazabal, and Ryu Topasna also scored. Giancarlo Abril scored Big Blue D2’s lone goal.
In other matches, BSL Premier Division champions, Rovers D1, defeated Lots of Art Tattoo Heat 3-1 with a hat trick by Jeremy Boldt. William Naden scored LOA Heat’s lone goal.
Rovers D1 will next face the Strykers FC at 7 p.m. Sunday in the second of the day’s two semifinal matches.
The Strykers moved on to the semifinals with a 7-4 win over the Southern Cobras. Marcus Lopez contributed a hat trick in the win and teammates Ricky Katsumata, Justin Johnson, and Joey Lopez, Jr. also scored. The Strykers’ other goal came on a Cobras own goal. Ashton Surber scored all four Cobras goals in the contest.
The GFA Cup is the premier men’s soccer knockout tournament in Guam. The tournament will conclude May 29 with the championship match kicking off at 7 p.m. In the tournament’s history, Quality Distributors has hoisted the GFA Cup perpetual trophy the most times, winning the inaugural tournament in 2008, successfully defending its title in 2009 and winning again in 2011 and 2013. Shipyard is next with three championships – 2010, 2012, and 2015. The Rovers D1 are the only other team to win the GFA Cup, winning in 2014.
In last year’s championship match, Guam Shipyard defeated the Strykers FC with a 5-3 penalty kick shootout score. The teams finished regulation time and extra time deadlocked at 1-all before forcing a PK shootout.
Quality Distributors FC’s Adrian Kense breaks through the Big Blue D2 defense to the goal during a quarterfinal match of the Bank of Guam 9th Annual GFA Cup soccer tournament at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. Quality won 9-1.
Big Blue D2’s GianCarlo Abril takes the ball through the midfield against Quality Distributors FC during a quarterfinal match of the Bank of Guam 9th Annual GFA Cup soccer tournament at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. Quality won 9-1.
Guam Shipyard’s Jestin Escobar tries to stay in possession of the ball facing defensive pressure from Crushers FC’s Noah Duenas, as Escobar’s teammate, Min Sung Choi, moves to provide him an option during a quarterfinal match of the Bank of Guam 9th Annual GFA Cup soccer tournament at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. Shipyard won 10-3.
Guam Shipyard’s Andre Gadia attempts to get to the ball ahead of Crushers FC defender Albert Toves during a quarterfinal match of the Bank of Guam 9th Annual GFA Cup soccer tournament at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. Shipyard won 10-3.
The Southern Cobras’ Eddie Lee Lorenzo stays in control of the ball as Strykers FC defenders begin to converge on him in a quarterfinal match of the Bank of Guam 9th Annual GFA Cup soccer tournament at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. The Strykers advanced to the semifinals with a 7-4 victory.
The Strykers FC’s Marcus Lopez begins to make his run to the goal against the Southern Cobras in a quarterfinal match of the Bank of Guam 9th Annual GFA Cup soccer tournament at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. The Strykers advanced to the semifinals with a 7-4 victory.
Lots of Art Tattoo Heat’s Riley Taijeron and Rovers DI’s Logan Dillenburger battle for possession of the ball during a quarterfinal match of the Bank of Guam 9th Annual GFA Cup soccer tournament at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. Rovers DI won 3-1.
Nathan Sablan looks for an opportunity to turn to the goal against the Lots of Art Tattoo Heat during a quarterfinal match of the Bank of Guam 9th Annual GFA Cup soccer tournament at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. Rovers DI won 3-1.